Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. This novel is part of the “cozy fantasy” subgenre. How did you feel about the story’s focus on low-stakes problems like finding a lease and managing a charity, even when world-ending magic was involved? Did this blend of the mundane and the magical work for you?

2. The guide positions this book alongside Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes (2022) as a key text in cozy fantasy. If you’ve read that book, how did you find the comparison? What do Agnes’s cat shelter and Viv’s coffee shop have in common as centers of community and comfort?

3. What was the most memorable scene or image for you in the entire novel? Was it a grand magical battle, a quiet character moment, or something else entirely? What made it stick with you?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Agnes relies heavily on checklists and routines to manage her anxiety and bring order to chaos. What are some of the ways you create a sense of stability or comfort for yourself when life feels overwhelming?

2. The shelter becomes a sanctuary for both cats and for people like Mina, Yannick, and eventually Havelock. Think about a place that has felt like a sanctuary to you. What qualities made it feel safe and welcoming?

3. Élise’s fierce, pragmatic loyalty to her sister Agnes is a driving force in the story. How did their sibling dynamic resonate with you? In what ways have you seen friendships or family relationships provide a necessary anchor during difficult times?

4. Havelock has a formidable public reputation as the “Witch King” that completely contradicts his private, socially awkward self. Have you ever felt that people’s perception of you didn’t quite match who you really are?

5. Agnes’s work at Les Amis des Chats is more than a job; it’s a mission that gives her life purpose after her husband’s death. Can you think of a passion or project in your own life that has provided you with a similar sense of meaning or direction?

6. When Agnes travels to the past, she must make the difficult choice to leave Robin behind to save the future. Have you ever had to make a hard decision that required you to let go of something important to move forward?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel’s magical black market mirrors the speakeasies of 1920s Prohibition-era Montréal. What do you think this parallel suggests about how societies react when certain practices or goods are made illegal? Where do we see similar underground economies operating today?

2. Valérie and her followers believe magicians should use their powers openly, while Havelock prefers to remain hidden. What does this conflict reveal about the challenges powerful or marginalized groups face when deciding how to exist within a society that may fear them?

3. Public opinion of Havelock shifts dramatically from villain to hero based on newspaper articles and eyewitness accounts of the final battle. How does the story explore the power of narrative in shaping public perception and creating a hero or a villain?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Heather Fawcett is known for her Emily Wilde series, which also pairs a highly organized, professional woman with a chaotic and powerful magical figure. If you’ve read that series, how does the dynamic between Agnes and Havelock compare to the one between Emily and Bambleby? What recurring themes do you see in Fawcett’s work?

2. How does the novel develop its central theme of The Restorative Power of Domesticity? In what specific ways do acts like organizing a workshop, caring for animals, or even making tea become powerful tools against world-ending magical threats?

3. The cat His Majesty is a complex symbol throughout the story. What does his untamable nature and eventual decision to side with Valérie suggest about the limits of Agnes’s philosophy of care and control?

4. Think about the dual function of the baker’s oven. How does it serve as a literal plot device for time travel while also symbolically representing the comforting intersection of the mundane and the magical?

5. Vortigern’s Lantern resolves the final conflict by taking power away. What statement do you think the author is making by having the ultimate magical solution be one of de-escalation and removal, rather than a bigger, more destructive spell?

6. Detective Laurent Rouzet shows a third path for magicians, one aligned with human law rather than the Rivenwood. What is his role in the story? How does his character complicate the novel’s ideas about morality, order, and justice?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you’re designing a new flyer for Les Amis des Chats now that its mystical reputation is public. What kind of enchanted cats would you advertise to attract adopters, and what minor, helpful charms would they possess?

2. If you could ask the enchanted pen one question about an everyday object in your life, what object would you choose and what kind of magical history would you hope to uncover?

3. The novel ends with Agnes and Havelock about to explore Paris through a magical portal. Picture their first “date” there. What kind of quiet, cozy, or perhaps awkwardly charming adventure do you imagine for them in the City of Light?